Need a trusted exhaust shop
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 166
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From: COVINGTON LA
Need a trusted exhaust shop
Looking for recommendation for a muffler shop that is knowledgeable about vette's. I am in Sykesville Maryland but I am willing to travel to the right shop. Thanks everyone.
Team Owner
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http://www.jimsperformance.com/
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Hartford WI
What have you done and what are you trying to achieve with this exhaust? Not many shops will have a mandrel bender so is there some reason that the current exhaust that is aftermarket isn't working for you?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
From: COVINGTON LA
I currently have the original exhaust other than the mufflers. I want to run straight pipes on the car and I need someone who is good at what they do. I had a guy in Georgia who was very meticulous so I guess he spoiled me. Looking for a shop that has experience with corvettes.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 800
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From personal experience, I hope you will have an x pipe or some sort of crossover in the exhaust. Otherwise it will resonate at 1500 rpm's. I would also stay very far away from flowmaster 40 mufflers it will be unbearable.
What are you planning muffler wise?
What are you planning muffler wise?
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,475
Likes: 3,291
From: Hartford WI
I currently have the original exhaust other than the mufflers. I want to run straight pipes on the car and I need someone who is good at what they do. I had a guy in Georgia who was very meticulous so I guess he spoiled me. Looking for a shop that has experience with corvettes.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,475
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From: Hartford WI
Unless he is going to cut from mandrel bended stuff, he is crimping the exhaust with the usual method of bending. What is wrong with a good SS exhaust that we can get commercially? Easier and better quality than most shops have with the galvanized metal.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 525
Likes: 9
From: Annapolis MD
I had KLJ Corvettes in Hanover do a full Stainless Works exhaust on my '92.
I think that may have changed their company name, but you might want to give them a call.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/klj-corvettes-hanover
I think that may have changed their company name, but you might want to give them a call.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/klj-corvettes-hanover
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 800
Likes: 2
He will not lose any ground clearance with a quality exhaust. On my old L98 it gained a lot by getting rid of the stock exhaust. Also dont forget the lt1 cars camr with factory dual exhaust
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Hartford WI
I agree with getting rid of the stock exhaust. The cat and muffler is restrictive but instead of spending all that time and money, what is the difference between getting an aftermarket 2 into 1 vs a straight pipe unless you put a H or X in the system? I am running TPIS headers with 1 Random Tech cat for sound purposes or more specifically, wife purposes and Borla Stingers. All mandrel bent 304 system and higher quality that most muffler shops can produce. Do you feel a straight pipe will gain me that much more?
I haven't seen the LT1 exhaust but I thought it was 2 into 1 also???
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 800
Likes: 2
On an L98, it is possible IF you have a guy custom building the exhaust and taking his time and cut and paste with mandrel bends. Obviously, that takes money. Good craftsmanship with 304 Stainless does NOT come cheap. Most of the exhaust systems I have seen are cobbled up from cheap crap material with even poorer quality welding and bending. You get it cheap or good but NOT both.
I agree with getting rid of the stock exhaust. The cat and muffler is restrictive but instead of spending all that time and money, what is the difference between getting an aftermarket 2 into 1 vs a straight pipe unless you put a H or X in the system? I am running TPIS headers with 1 Random Tech cat for sound purposes or more specifically, wife purposes and Borla Stingers. All mandrel bent 304 system and higher quality that most muffler shops can produce. Do you feel a straight pipe will gain me that much more?
I haven't seen the LT1 exhaust but I thought it was 2 into 1 also???
I agree with getting rid of the stock exhaust. The cat and muffler is restrictive but instead of spending all that time and money, what is the difference between getting an aftermarket 2 into 1 vs a straight pipe unless you put a H or X in the system? I am running TPIS headers with 1 Random Tech cat for sound purposes or more specifically, wife purposes and Borla Stingers. All mandrel bent 304 system and higher quality that most muffler shops can produce. Do you feel a straight pipe will gain me that much more?
I haven't seen the LT1 exhaust but I thought it was 2 into 1 also???
My current car is an LT1 car and it has duals. From the factory the lt1 cars have a cat just behind the manifolds going to a resonator, which is dual in dual out to the mufflers. If you want a mellow sound getting the LT1 manifolds and full exhaust on an L98 will net you descent gains and be quiet at the same time if thats what you want.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Hartford WI
But they look like they have an X pipe to mitigate the issue of each bank dumping into atmosphere, IOW there is scavenging because of your X pipe. 
When I hear people say "true duals" I usually get the impression that the driver bank feeds into 1 muffler and the passenger bank feeds into another muffler WITHOUT an X or H to give it scavenging.
When I hear people say "true duals" I usually get the impression that the driver bank feeds into 1 muffler and the passenger bank feeds into another muffler WITHOUT an X or H to give it scavenging.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,475
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From: Hartford WI
In your case probably not, on my old car it was straight piped with an h-pipe and no cats to flowmaster mufflers. It sounded excellent from the outside and wiyh the top off. I think it really depends on what shop you use as to the quality.
My exhaust was not a stainless system but I didnt see the need for stainless in my application.
My current car is an LT1 car and it has duals. From the factory the lt1 cars have a cat just behind the manifolds going to a resonator, which is dual in dual out to the mufflers. If you want a mellow sound getting the LT1 manifolds and full exhaust on an L98 will net you descent gains and be quiet at the same time if thats what you want.
My exhaust was not a stainless system but I didnt see the need for stainless in my application.
My current car is an LT1 car and it has duals. From the factory the lt1 cars have a cat just behind the manifolds going to a resonator, which is dual in dual out to the mufflers. If you want a mellow sound getting the LT1 manifolds and full exhaust on an L98 will net you descent gains and be quiet at the same time if thats what you want.
In WI, you will need to have SS unless you only drive it in summer. I drive mine in the winter when it is ok but there is salt on the ground. LOTS OF SALT. MORE SALT THAN ROAD SOMETIMES.
Generally, I don't really care about the sound and prefer it to be perfectly quiet but realize that it is going to be noisy regardless if I want to crank out some power. Gotta pay to play, I suppose. I build the system for performance
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 800
Likes: 2
But they look like they have an X pipe to mitigate the issue of each bank dumping into atmosphere, IOW there is scavenging because of your X pipe. When I hear people say "true duals" I usually get the impression that the driver bank feeds into 1 muffler and the passenger bank feeds into another muffler WITHOUT an X or H to give it scavenging.
When I hear people say "true duals" I usually get the impression that the driver bank feeds into 1 muffler and the passenger bank feeds into another muffler WITHOUT an X or H to give it scavenging.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 800
Likes: 2
Was it mandrel bent or just using a regular bender or did you cut bits and pieces of mandrel bent pipe to make an exhaust? Yes the shop matters but what is the cost? Is it more than an aluminized aftermarket exhaust so we are comparing apples to apples?
In WI, you will need to have SS unless you only drive it in summer. I drive mine in the winter when it is ok but there is salt on the ground. LOTS OF SALT. MORE SALT THAN ROAD SOMETIMES.
Generally, I don't really care about the sound and prefer it to be perfectly quiet but realize that it is going to be noisy regardless if I want to crank out some power. Gotta pay to play, I suppose. I build the system for performance
In WI, you will need to have SS unless you only drive it in summer. I drive mine in the winter when it is ok but there is salt on the ground. LOTS OF SALT. MORE SALT THAN ROAD SOMETIMES.
Generally, I don't really care about the sound and prefer it to be perfectly quiet but realize that it is going to be noisy regardless if I want to crank out some power. Gotta pay to play, I suppose. I build the system for performance
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,475
Likes: 3,291
From: Hartford WI
The pipes I had were mandrel bent. Down here in Ga there is no need for stainless exhaust unless the car will sit for long periods. My exhaust guy builds systems for show cars, he will polish the stainless before installing if need be. He has a mandrel pipe machine I haven't seen welds as good as what he is capable of doing. I have watched him build a custom system out of stainless on a chevelle. It hsd vband joints all the welds were ground down smooth and polished along with the rest of the exhaust and headers. Other than the clamps the system looked seamless. I will try to find some photos.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 800
Likes: 2
I dont know how much it would cost you, it varies state by state. The commercially available stuff is fine in most applications. Only reason I went the way I did was because he owed me a favor from some work I have done for him